Trying to balance its economic and population growth with a fiercely traditional culture is proving to be a challenge. Here's how to experience all walks of life and culture on your trip to the country People of Vietnam: Smiling street vendor in Ho Chi Minh Around 5, years ago in the foothills and valleys of the Red River Delta, a distinctive culture emerged that can be traced to the people who now call themselves Vietnamese.
This is where the kingdom of Van Lang came into being, considered the cradle of Vietnamese culture. Its line of kings, known as the Hung, were the forefathers of the Vietnamese people Studies on the origins of the Vietnamese show that the people who settled in the Indochinese Peninsula and its bordering regions most likely came from southern and eastern China, the high plateaux of Central Asia, islands in the South Pacific and also other parts of the world.
Vietnam can thus be considered the proverbial melting pot into which the major Asiatic and Oceanic migrations converged. That mixture is the result of repeated invasions from outside Vietnam, particularly from China, along with continual migrations within the country, most commonly from north to south. As a result, you will find in Vietnam today the predominant Kinh as well as distinct ethnic minority groups, like the hill tribes of the northern and central highlands, and small pockets of Cham and Khmer people in the south, whose kingdoms were vanquished by Vietnamese armies from the north.
Today they number about , β but the Champa kingdom was once home to a distinctive culture that lasted for several centuries. Ethnic Khmers, part of the same ethnic stock as Cambodians, number around , and are concentrated in the Mekong Delta area. Take a guided tour of the city's Chinatown on Insight Guides' Wonders of Vietnam holiday ; a local expert will guide you through the city's unmissable sights. The Cham people have always been known for their brightly coloured and very beautiful textiles.
Photo: Shutterstock Village and family bonds Much of Vietnamese culture has been heavily influenced by the Chinese, who colonised Vietnam over 2, years ago.
